by Shari Barr
“Lucky for us, we saw Susie and she led us back home.” McKenzie unzipped her life jacket and slid it off.
“That wasn’t luck, young lady.” Mr. Carney’s eyes grew serious. “The good Lord was looking after you two, He was. If I hadn’t seen you leave, no one would have known where you went. You could have been in a heap of trouble out there if the fog hadn’t lifted when it did.”
McKenzie glanced sheepishly toward Alex and met her gaze. She knew Mr. Carney was speaking the truth. They could have been in serious trouble.
“I’m not scolding you girls, but I know your Aunt Becca had already left for work when you set out. She asked me to keep an eye out for you while she’s gone. You just had me a bit worried, that’s all.”
“We’re sorry we worried you. We were hoping to find Susie’s pups. I want to show them to Alex,” McKenzie explained. “Has anybody seen them yet this morning?”
Mr. Carney shook his head as he settled back in his lawn chair. “Not that I know of. It’s strange, if you ask me. Those little pups are always with their momma. Don’t know what could have happened to them.”
“Do you think a whale or a shark could have gotten them?” Alexis shuddered.
Mr. Carney shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose that’s possible, but I really don’t think it’s likely. Susie keeps a close watch over her pups.”
The elderly man glanced at his watch and rose to his feet. “I’d better go check my lunch in the oven, then I’m heading to the gift shop. The book I ordered about caves came in this morning.”
“We were going over there to shop for souvenirs,” McKenzie said. “We could pick it up for you if you want.”
Mr. Carney accepted the offer and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. After he handed them a couple of bills, they ran across the sand to Aunt Becca’s rental house. McKenzie found the key her aunt kept hidden on the front porch, and they slipped inside the back door.
Aunt Becca’s golden retriever met them at the door. “Hey there, Mickey.” McKenzie scratched the dog’s head as she headed toward the computer in the corner of the living room.
“I’m going to check my email before we go.” McKenzie clicked the mouse until her account popped up.
“Hey, you’ve got a message from Inspector Gadget.” Alex giggled as she peered over her shoulder and saw their friend Kate’s name on the screen. “Oh, and there’s another one from Elizabeth. But there’s nothing from any of the other Camp Club Girls, though.”
The Camp Club Girls were McKenzie’s roommates from camp in Arizona. The six girls came from all parts of the country and had become best friends. While at camp they had solved a mystery together. Now when the girls visited each other, they always managed to solve some sort of mystery or riddle. They called their friend Kate Oliver Inspector Gadget because she had every new gadget or electronic device imaginable. Kate was eleven years old and lived in Philadelphia.
“I emailed all the girls as soon as I found out about the missing sea lion pups. Maybe Kate has some advice.”
Kate had written:
Hey, roomies, anything new about the pups? Dad gave me a pair of video sunglasses that are really cool. You can record sights and sounds when you’re wearing them and nobody will know. I’m sending them to you so you should have them in a couple of days. They might come in handy to solve this mystery.
“Cool!” Alex said, peering over her shoulder. “I can’t wait to see those.”
“I didn’t even know they made video sunglasses,” McKenzie said, clicking on a message from fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Anderson, who lived in Amarillo, Texas.
Hi, McKenzie and Alex,
Ever since you told me about the sea lion pups, I’ve been praying and praying. I have the strangest feeling that the pups are still alive. I think God wants you to save them, just like He does us. Keep all us Camp Club Girls posted so we can help.
Love, Elizabeth
McKenzie logged off, feeling relieved after reading Elizabeth’s words. The older girl had an amazing faith. McKenzie often wished she was more like her. Elizabeth always remembered to turn to God, while McKenzie often forgot.
The girls quickly changed out of their swimsuits into shorts and T-shirts. Ten minutes later, they walked through the front door of the lobby to Emerald Bay Resort and Cottages.
Two employees stood behind a counter, busy with customers making reservations on computers. A rock fireplace stood at one end of the lobby with a leather couch and chairs nestled around it. A display of vacation brochures sat on the polished wooden coffee table in front.
A pamphlet caught McKenzie’s eye as she approached the table. “Hey, look at this, Alex.” She grabbed a colorful brochure and skimmed the front page. “Newport, a city just north of here, is having a photography contest during their festival later this week. Why don’t you enter? You’re a great photographer.”
Alex took the brochure from McKenzie, her blue eyes sparkling. “Ooh. This would be fun. Maybe I could take pictures of some of the whales.”
McKenzie grabbed a handful of various brochures and flicked through them. “We could go to the Heceta Head Lighthouse and Cape Perpetua. You should be able to get some really good shots up there.”
The girls settled onto the couch with their heads together, poring over the brochures. McKenzie looked up when she heard loud voices at the counter.
“We reserved the Hideaway Bungalow more than three months ago.” A dark-haired man with sunglasses perched on his head snapped at a young man behind the counter. A woman with blond hair stood beside him, shaking her head with exasperation.
They look familiar, McKenzie thought. Where have I seen them?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Franks,” the clerk apologized. “Apparently there has been some confusion. We just gave that cabin to another party. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. You can have the Beachside Cabin at the same rate as the Hideaway. That’s quite an upgrade. The Beachside has a magnificent view of the cove.”
Mr. Franks slapped his hand on the counter. “I don’t want the Beachside Cabin. I reserved the Hideaway, and I demand that I get it!”
“Uhh,” the clerk stammered as his face turned red. “But that’s not possible.”
“Young man,” the bleach-blond woman said in a syrupy sweet voice. “I’m sure you don’t understand our predicament. We’re trainers at Sea Park, and we always reserve the Hideaway since it’s away from all the hustle and bustle of the resort. It’s an understanding we have with your manager, Mr. Simms. I’m sure you can make the necessary arrangements immediately, can’t you?”
“Oh…uh,” the clerk stuttered as he pecked on his computer keyboard. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize you were the Mel and Tia Franks. Let me double-check. Aah, yes, the Hideaway has just been cleaned, as a matter of fact. I can give you your keys now.”
McKenzie raised her eyebrows as she met Alex’s gaze. She tried to suppress a giggle as the irate couple grabbed their keys and marched out of the lobby.
“Now I know where I’ve seen them,” McKenzie whispered to Alex. “Aren’t they the couple in the motorboat that almost ran over us?”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Alex said, watching the couple through the window.
After shoving the free brochures in her back pocket, McKenzie headed across the lobby to the gift shop. Alex stopped to look at a postcard display, but McKenzie headed to an aisle filled with trinkets. She picked up a gray stuffed sea lion. It barked when she pressed its stomach.
Evan would like this, she thought, trying to decide what to get her little brother for a souvenir. Or maybe he’d like the glow-in-the-dark Ping-Pong balls or a monster-sized stuffed whale.
A rack held various hats with fake hair attached to the underside. An army green fishing hat had stringy red hair hanging down. Black bushy hair stuck out from beneath an orange stocking cap. She picked up a baseball cap that had two long blond braids attached. Twisting her hair into a knot, she tucked it under the cap as she shoved it onto her he
ad.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” McKenzie asked with a forced Southern drawl as she approached her friend in the next aisle.
Alex looked up from the postcard in her hand. Her blue eyes sparkled as she burst out laughing. “Where did you get that? You should see yourself.”
McKenzie led Alex to the goofy hat display. The girls each grabbed a cap and giggled as they modeled for each other.
After they had tried on nearly every style, McKenzie decided to get a green fishing hat for Evan and a T-shirt for herself. Alex had a handful of postcards and a bag of gum balls. While the girls paid for their souvenirs, they inquired about Mr. Carney’s book. The clerk located it beneath the checkout counter and handed it to them. After paying for it, the girls stepped outside.
“This looks like a cool book.” McKenzie scanned the cover and read aloud, “Secluded Caves along the Oregon Coast: Little-known Caves for Amateur Spelunkers.”
“What are spelunkers?” Alex asked, popping a gum ball in her mouth.
“Cave explorers.” McKenzie flipped through the book as she walked across the parking lot, pausing to look at some of the pictures. “Maybe I can borrow this from Mr. C. when he’s done.”
McKenzie closed the book and stuck it back in the bag with her other purchases. The girls walked down the winding lane to Mr. Carney’s cottage. After they delivered the book, he promised she could borrow it when he was finished.
Since Aunt Becca wouldn’t get home from work for several more hours, the girls decided to have a picnic on the beach. They found a spot they liked in the bright sun and settled on the sand.
A woman stretched out on a lounge chair beneath a huge yellow beach umbrella. A girl who looked about six years old and a boy of about nine were building a sand castle near the water. The girl carried buckets of sand while the boy pounded the sand into shapes. So far, their castle looked like a bunch of lumps.
While the girls ate, the kids’ voices drifted up the beach.
“I want to see the sea lion pups,” the little girl said as she dumped a pail full of wet sand next to the castle.
“You can’t see them,” the boy said, patting the sand into a cone shape. “They’re gone.”
“Where did they go?” the girl asked. She plunked onto the beach and folded her arms across her chest.
“How do I know?” the boy answered, dumping another bucket of sand. “A man and woman took them away this morning.”
McKenzie stopped chewing and leaned forward. She held her breath and a tingle ran up her neck as the boy continued. “I saw them. Mario and Bianca were kidnapped!”
An Intriguing Invitation
“Did that kid say what I think he did?” McKenzie asked, nudging Alex.
“Did he say somebody kidnapped Mario and Bianca?” Alex said, with her mouth full of sandwich.
A banana slice fell out of McKenzie’s sandwich on its way to her mouth. It rolled down her front, smearing a glob of peanut butter down her swimsuit. “That’s what I thought he said too.”
McKenzie plucked the banana off her lap and stuffed it in her mouth. She turned her attention back to the family building the lopsided sand castle.
The mother lifted her head from the lounge chair and turned toward her son. “Did you really see someone take the sea lion pups, Keaton?”
The boy nodded. “I went outside this morning before anyone was up. I saw some guy and a woman pull two little sea lions out of the water and put them into their boat. Two teenagers were helping.”
“Did you see what they looked like?” the mom asked as she sprayed sunscreen on the boy’s back.
The boy shrugged. He stuck a plastic shovel into the sand, scooping a trench around the castle. “Sort of, but not really. The guy had a really cool giant fish tattoo on his arm. Their boat was silver with red trim.”
The mother turned from her son and tossed the sunscreen bottle to the ground. “Claire, get your life jacket on!” she yelled as she chased her daughter, who was running toward the water.
Standing, the boy tossed his shovel to the ground. He grabbed an inner tube and raced down the beach after his mother and sister.
Thank God Mario and Bianca are still alive, McKenzie thought with relief. Elizabeth was right. She glanced toward the boats sailing in the cove and sighed. Five or six boats there now are silver with red trim. How can anyone figure out who took the pups if the boy can’t remember what they look like?
“Do you think someone really stole Mario and Bianca?” Alex took a gulp from her juice bottle.
“That kid seems to think so.” McKenzie squirted sunscreen onto her leg and rubbed it in. “But he only remembers the guy’s tattoo. Whoever stole them surely wouldn’t come back around. They’re probably long gone by now.”
Alex stuffed her sandwich bags into her tote and nodded. “True. But maybe the kid is just making the whole thing up.”
“He sure acted like he knew what he was talking about. I mean, he noticed the guy’s tattoo and all. Why would he make that up?”
Alex rubbed sunscreen across her face. “Maybe we could go out there and talk to him. Ask him questions and stuff.”
McKenzie looked down the beach and saw the woman gathering towels and sand toys. “I think we’re too late.”
The mother grabbed the little girl’s hand, and the boy tagged along behind, dragging the beach chair. Minutes later they disappeared in the crowd of sunbathers near the resort. The girls ran to the cold water for a few moments, then stretched out on their beach towels.
McKenzie closed her eyes against the sun. Then she remembered she hadn’t told the Camp Club Girls about the boy’s story of the sea lion pups’ kidnapping. She dug her cell phone from her bag and texted a message. She sent it to Kate and Elizabeth, as well as Bailey Chang in Peoria, Illinois, and Sydney Lincoln in Washington, DC.
She propped herself up with her elbow and glanced at Alex. “Why don’t we get your camcorder and walk down to Sea Lion Harbor? We might as well get started on the video report.”
The girls quickly gathered their towels and bags and headed to the beach house. After changing their clothes, they grabbed their cameras and stepped out the back door. They set off down the road behind the row of beach homes that led to the Sea Lion Harbor observation area.
When they arrived at the overlook, McKenzie heard the sea lions before she saw them. Their barking was unlike anything she had ever heard. Even though she had heard them the night before with Aunt Becca, she was still shocked by the noise.
“Look at them all,” McKenzie said, peering over the fence that overlooked the rocky ledge below. “There must be dozens of them. They’re so cute when they play, and they’re so noisy. Do you know what a group of sea lions is called?”
“A cluster?” Alex asked.
“No, a herd,” McKenzie said. “When Aunt Becca told me that, I thought she was kidding. I thought she said it was a herd because I’m used to cows being in herds!”
“Well, I guess they’re actually about as big as cows,” Alex said.
“At least some of them. I never realized how big they can get,” McKenzie agreed.
“Do you see Susie?” Alex leaned against the railing and watched the sea lions frolic in the water.
McKenzie squinted as she searched the herd for Susie. “There she is! On the ledge. That’s not like her. Last night she was spinning like a ballet dancer while Mario and Bianca swam around her. She must not have found her pups yet. She looks sad now.”
“Maybe she misses her babies.” Alex lifted her camcorder and focused on the sea lions below her.
McKenzie focused her digital camera on Susie and snapped a picture. Several of the sea lions were chasing fish, catching them playfully then letting them go. “Susie just doesn’t act right. Do you think we could figure out what happened to the pups?”
Alex lowered her camcorder. “I think we should try, anyway. When I was doing my report for school, I learned it’s illegal to capture sea lions. If we don’t look out for the
m, who will? They’re God’s creatures too.”
“If someone stole Mario and Bianca, we need to find out who did it and what they did with the pups,” McKenzie said, glancing at her watch. “It’s hot out here. Do you want to go back to the beach for a while before Aunt Becca gets off work? That will give us time to figure out how to start this investigation.”
Alex agreed as she shut off her camcorder. They hurried back down the road to the beach house. After grabbing their towels, they headed to the cove. While they were gone, sunbathers had flocked to the beach, spreading out colorful blankets and coolers. Rock music blared out of someone’s boom box. A few kites dotted the sky.
McKenzie flung herself onto the sand.
Alex dropped down beside her and stretched out on her stomach with her arms folded beneath her chin. “Isn’t it funny that a group of sea lions is called a herd, but baby sea lions are called pups?” Then without waiting for an answer, she asked, “Where should we begin, with this investigation, I mean?”
“Good question.” McKenzie started digging in the sand. “We don’t know much about the couple that the boy said stole the pups. All we know is that they drove a silver and red boat, and the guy had a fish tattoo. And they had two helpers. Maybe we should try to figure out why someone would want to steal the babies. You’re the sea lion expert, Alex. What would someone do with a sea lion?”
Alex thought for a moment then answered. “Well, it’s not to sell the fur, like some animals, because the sea lion doesn’t have any fur. Some people in northern Alaska use the skins to make boats, but that would be dumb to steal pups for that.”
“That’s gross,” McKenzie said, making a face. “Surely no one would be mean enough to do that. They wouldn’t get much skin out of baby pups, anyway. There must be another reason. Why else would someone want a sea lion?”